Has anyone used these for a jump course at their barn? If so, have you painted or stained them? What type of paint or stain did you use? I know some people don’t do anything to them, but if they are used in an outdoor ring, won’t they eventually rot? Thanks for any info and advice?
If you store them up off the ground they will last a lot longer, but the ones we used at my old barn for trot poles took a few years to rot, unfinished and always on the ground. They are so cheap it’s worth it.
We just use an exterior paint on them and they hold up for many years, they need to be repainted yearly, however. I am planning on staining some new ones I picked up, I think the stain will hold up longer than paint.
I used to use them ALL the time. They are easy to get and cheap. They are also nice if you don’t have a huge ring, as they aren’t really long. Some I painted, some were just left alone. We drilled holes in some and turned them into “flower boxes.”
They work great, though to some people are too short.
Pressure treated should last OK with out doing much to it. Not forever, but better than non-treated lumber.
When I paint I use whatever exterior paint I can find on sale. Nothing holds up great to horses so you will have to re-paint regularly to have it looking good.
We used them (8ft) when we didn’t have anything else and my daughter was doing crossrails with jump blocks on a pony. Now they are good ground lines, canter/trot poles, etc. and can’t beat the price. They were so cheap we did not paint them; I did put colored duct tape stripes on them in pairs so we could “name” the xrails (blue to green diagonal to gray…).
Yes, it is all I have at home. Agree with others that say they last longer if you paint them and store them off the ground.
When we made equipment, we got colored wood stain. Goes on like paint and looks like paint, but soaks into the wood rather than chipping off like paint.
I got a bunch of them about 5 years ago and painted them with deck paint. We still have them and have never repainted them (AND they are stored on the ground). So if possible, I suggest using deck paint on them to make them last longer.
we use plastic pipe. can get the sticker stripes to dress them up. last forever and lightweight for easy moving.
Hint, if you’re motivated: take an old set of standards that needs painting, and some old cups. Set them up so you have four or five poles on the standards (like the world’s tallest vertical). Be sure the poles are DRY before you start. Get a big bucket of white farm paint, a wide brush, paint them all white including the standards. Leave them to dry, come back and do it again, several times. Make sure the paint is good and dry before adding the next coat. When you’re tired of white, find some small cans of colors and paint a single colored stripe in the middle of each, couple of coats as your patience permits, and voila - you have painted poles. We have some that are at least 10 years old and unless they get broken, they do last a long time.
The only thing I don’t like about using PVC for jump poles is that they are so lightweight that they don’t fall the same as wood poles. Easier to get hung up in horse’s legs or fall in such a manner that they will be in your landing area (will go forward when knocked.) I know people use them but they make me nervous.
Another awesome use for landscape timbers is a quickie flower box. Drill holes in the top, go to the tackiest craft mega-store in town, buy the biggest, ugliest, brightest “bunch” flowers you can find, insert in holes, and voila! 12" of flowers! I found the Fall / Harvest season to have the best selection of truly hideous stuff.
When DH and I first married, he built me an entire course of jumps that were slightly less than 8’ wide, because my arena was so narrow. The landscape timbers made nifty rails, then the brush boxes / flower boxes / stone wall were about 7’ to give a little clearance for the standards. It made jumping at the horse shows a lot easier!
[QUOTE=Lexie55;8737329]
Another awesome use for landscape timbers is a quickie flower box. Drill holes in the top, go to the tackiest craft mega-store in town, buy the biggest, ugliest, brightest “bunch” flowers you can find, insert in holes, and voila! 12" of flowers! I found the Fall / Harvest season to have the best selection of truly hideous stuff. [/QUOTE]
Yes! After making one more elaborate flower box, I did the landscape timber flower box and they are great. Easy to make and easy to move. I put “feet” on each end of mine (pieces of 2x4) to raise them just slightly off the ground. I also cut each landscape timber in half, which makes the flower boxes really versatile and lightweight.
If you paint the landscape timbers wait until they are dry and no longer green before you paint them. I use a good high gloss exterior paint. I personally hate Behr. I sometimes will get lucky at Lowe’s and can get a good exterior paint from the mismatched paint area but that tends to be a lower gloss. You can sometimes get mis-tinted deck stain that would work well for a natural color. If you stain also wait until the wood is dry.
I got a bunch of landscape timbers for $2 at Lowes. They work perfect, especially in my small ring. I am going to do a flower box too, when I get time.
[QUOTE=inca;8737152]
The only thing I don’t like about using PVC for jump poles is that they are so lightweight that they don’t fall the same as wood poles. Easier to get hung up in horse’s legs or fall in such a manner that they will be in your landing area (will go forward when knocked.) I know people use them but they make me nervous.[/QUOTE]
We planed a 2x4 and wedged it into our PVC poles to add weight. It helps a LOT.
[QUOTE=inca;8737152]
The only thing I don’t like about using PVC for jump poles is that they are so lightweight that they don’t fall the same as wood poles. Easier to get hung up in horse’s legs or fall in such a manner that they will be in your landing area (will go forward when knocked.) I know people use them but they make me nervous.[/QUOTE]
I’ve also seen a horse hit them just so and watched them shatter/splinter into a million pieces. Makes me suuuuper nervous.
We put up a 3 acre pasture fence using landscape timbers and 2x4 no climb wire mesh. Here it is 15yrs later and the timbers are still good. No paint, no stain, just dug the fence holes stood them in the holes and refilled. I also use them on course and also as trot/canter poles in an outside grass ring and they are still holding up very well. I have saved a tremendous amount of money using just the landscape timbers.
[QUOTE=ParadoxFarm;8738199]
We planed a 2x4 and wedged it into our PVC poles to add weight. It helps a LOT.[/QUOTE]
That’s a GREAT idea! Anyone know the price difference between PVC poles and landscape timbers? I need to build some jumps…
